LONDON, England - June 25, 2018 - This same venue. This same turf. It’s where disappointing performances dashed dreams. Yet redemption was made to earn a medal. The next time the U.S. Women’s National Team steps on the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre’s pitch at the legacy venue at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, there will be some familiarity with a bit of a revenge chip on their shoulders.

Built as the host site of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is situated east of the city of Stratford and contains many ruins from those times with the Olympic Village and several sporting venues including the London Stadium, Aquatics Centre and Media Centre. Among them is the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, previously known as the Eton Manor and encompassing remains from The Games’ venue, the Riverbank Arena.

The Riverbank Arena was built with two venues for field hockey competition with capacities of 15,000 and 5,000, respectively, as well as venues for the Paralympic football 7-a-side and 5-a-side competitions. These sites hosted both the men’s and women’s tournaments, but after the Olympic Games, Riverbank Arena was scaled down to a 5,000-seat arena, dismantled and moved northeast to Eton Manor. The facility reopened in June 2014 under the name Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre and is the current home of the Wapping Hockey Club. It is made up of two hockey pitches and ten tennis courts, four indoor and six outdoor. The venue plays hosts to a range of events and programs from grassroots to the elite level.

Following the move, this venue hosted some of the biggest field hockey tournaments the sport has ever seen such as the 2015 UniBet EuroHockey Championships and 2016 Champions Trophies, where the USWNT fought tooth and nail to overcome a 2-0 deficit against Australia to force the game into shootouts. The combination of Jackie Briggs’ (Robesonia, Pa.) unwavering reactions defending the goal and Melissa Gonzalez’ (Mohegan Lake, N.Y.) goal created a 1-0 score for USA to win bronze. 

The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre’s primary hockey pitch has a capacity of 3,000 which can be increased to 15,000 for major events. To accommodate all fans in attendance at the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup, England Hockey is setting up their biggest Spectator Village to date. This will be situated a mere 6-minute walk from the venue and is on the old Riverbank Arena site. It will include food, drink, entertainment, chances to play the sport, retail and a big screen.

Whether you are at the World Cup in person or viewing it from afar, follow all the action from the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre’s blue pitch as you cheer on USA. #Gr1tForGlory